“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place
called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I
go and pray yonder. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of
Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy: and He saith unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here,
and watch with me.”29792979 [The only variation of text is the substitution of
κα for ττε, at the beginning of verse 38. The R.V. renders, “sorrowful and
sore troubled,” and “abide” instead of
“tarry.”—R.]

Because they clung to Him
inseparably, therefore He saith, “Tarry ye here, while I go away
and pray.” For it was usual with Him to pray apart from them. And
this He did teaching us in our prayers, to prepare silence for
ourselves and great retirement.

And He takes with Him the three, and saith unto them,
“my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”
Wherefore doth He not take all with Him? That they might not be cast
down; but these He taketh that had been spectators of His glory.
However, even these He dismisses: “And He went on a little
farther, and prayeth, saying, Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He
cometh unto them, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter,
What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh
is weak.”29802980Matt. xxvi. 39–41. [The first part of verse 39 is abridged, and in 40“them” is substituted for
“the disciples.” The remainder of the passage is in verbal
agreement with the received text.—R.]

Not without reason doth He inveigh against Peter most,
although the others also had slept; but to make him feel by this also,
for the cause which I mentioned before. Then because the others also
said the same thing (for when Peter had said (these are the words),
“Though I must die with Thee, I will not deny Thee; likewise
also,” it is added, “said all the disciples”);29812981Matt. xxvi.
36. He addresses Himself to all, convicting their weakness. For they who
are desiring to die with Him, were not then able so much as to sorrow
with Him wakefully, but sleep overcame them.

And He prays with earnestness, in order that the thing
might not seem to be acting. And sweats flow over him for the same
cause again, even that the heretics might not say this, that He acts
the agony. Therefore there is a sweat like drops of blood, and an angel
appeared strengthening Him, and a thousand sure signs of fear, lest any
one should affirm the words to be feigned. For this cause also was this
prayer. By saying then, “If it be possible, let it pass from
me,” He showed His humanity; but by saying, “Nevertheless
not as I will, but as Thou wilt,” He showed His virtue and
self-command, teaching us even when nature pulls us back, to follow
God. For since it was not enough for the foolish to show His face only,
He uses words also. Again, words sufficed not alone, but deeds likewise
were needed; these also He joins with the words, that even they who are
in a high degree contentious may believe, that He both became man and
died. For if, even when these things are so, this be still disbelieved
by some, much more, if these had not been. See by how many things He
shows the reality of the incarnation: by what He speaks, by what He
suffers. After that He cometh and saith to Peter, as it is said,
“What, couldest thou not watch one hour with me?”29822982 Comp. Mark
xiv. 37. All were sleeping, and He re
479
bukes
Peter, hinting at him, in what He spake. And the words, “with
me,” are not employed without reason; it is as though He had
said, Thou couldest not watch with me one hour, and wilt thou lay down
thy life for me? and what follows also, intimates this self-same thing.
For “Watch,” saith He, “and pray not to enter into
temptation.” See how He is again instructing them not to be
self-confident, but contrite in mind, and to be humble, and to refer
all to God.

And at one time He addresses Himself to Peter, at
another to all in common. And to him He saith, “Simon, Simon,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I
have prayed for thee;” and to all in common, “Pray that ye
enter not into temptation;” every way plucking up their
self-will, and making them earnest-minded. Then, that He might not seem
to make His language altogether condemnatory, He saith, “The
spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh is weak.” For even although
thou dost desire to despise death, yet thou wilt not be able, until God
stretch forth His hand, for the carnal mind draws down.

And again He prayed in the same way, saying,
“Father, if this cannot pass from me except I drink it, Thy will
be done,”29832983Matt. xxvi.
42. [The word
“cup” is omitted as in R.V., but “from me” is
retained as in the received text.—R.]showing here, that He fully harmonizes with God’s will, and that
we must always follow this, and seek after it.

“And He came and found them asleep.”29842984Matt. xxvi.
43. [R.V.,
“sleeping;” “again” is omitted.—R.] For besides that it was late at night, their eyes also were weighed
down by their despondency. And the third time He went and spake the
same thing, establishing the fact, that He was become man. For the
second and third time is in the Scriptures especially indicative of
truth; like as Joseph also said to Pharaoh, “Did the dream appear
to thee the second time? For truth was this done, and that thou
mightest be assured that this shall surely be.”29852985Gen. xli.
32. Therefore He too once, and twice, and three times spake the same thing,
for the sake of proving the incarnation.29862986οκονομα.

And wherefore came He the second time? In order to
reprove them, for that they were so drowned in despondency, as not to
have any sense even of His presence. He did not however reprove them,
but stood apart from them a little, showing their unspeakable weakness,
that not even when they had been rebuked, were they able to endure. But
He doth not awake and rebuke them again, lest He should smite them that
were already smitten, but He went away and prayed, and when He is come
back again, He saith, “Sleep on now, and take your rest.”
And yet then there was need to be wakeful, but to show that they will
not bear so much as the sight of the dangers, but will be put to flight
and desert Him from their terror, and that He hath no need of their
succor, and that He must by all means be delivered up, “Sleep on
now,” He saith, “and take your rest; behold the hour is at
hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners.”29872987Matt. xxvi.
45.

He shows again that what is done belongs to a divine
dispensation.

2. But He doth not this only, but also, by saying,
“into the hands of sinners,” He cheers up their minds,
showing it was the effect of their wickedness, not of His being liable
to any charge.

“Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that
doth betray me.”29882988Matt. xxvi.
46. For by all means He taught them, that the matter was not of necessity,
nor of weakness, but of some secret dispensation. For, as we see, He
foreknew that Judas would come, and so far from flying, He even went to
meet him. At any rate, “While He yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the
twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves,
from the chief priests and elders of the people.”29892989Matt. xxvi.
47. Seemly surely are the instruments of the priests! “with swords
and staves” do they come against Him! And Judas, it is said, with
them, one of the twelve. Again he calleth him “of the
twelve,” and is not ashamed. Now he that betrayed Him gave them a
sign, saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He, hold Him
fast.”29902990Matt. xxvi.
48. [R.V., “take
him.”] Oh! what depravity had the traitor’s soul received. For with what
kind of eyes did he then look at his Master? with what mouth did he
kiss Him? Oh! accursed purpose; what did he devise? What did he dare?
What sort of sign of betrayal did he give? Whomsoever I shall kiss, he
saith. He was emboldened by his Master’s gentleness, which more
than all was sufficient to shame him, and to deprive him of all excuse
for that he was betraying one so meek.

But wherefore doth He say this? Because often when
seized by them He had gone out through the midst, without their knowing
it. Nevertheless, then also this would have been done, if it had not
been His own will that He should be taken. It was at least with a view
to teach them this, that He then blinded their eyes, and Himself asked,
“Whom seek ye?”29912991John xviii.
4. And they knew Him not, though being with
480
lanterns and torches, and having Judas with
them. Afterwards, as they had said, “Jesus;” He saith,
“I am He” whom ye seek: and here again, “Friend,
wherefore art thou come?”29922992Matt. xxvi.
50. [The Greek text in the
Homily is ἐφ
πρει; but there is some authority for ἐφ
πρει; which is abundantly attested in the
New Testament passage. The latter reading is accepted in the R.V.,
“Friend, do that for which thou art
come.”—R.]

For after having shown His own strength, then at once He
yielded Himself. But John saith, that even to the very moment He
continued to reprove him, saying, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son
of Man with a kiss?”29932993Luke xxii.
48. Art thou not ashamed even of the form of the betrayal? saith He.
Nevertheless, forasmuch as not even this checked him, He submitted to
be kissed, and gave Himself up willingly; and they laid their hands on
Him, and seized Him that night on which they ate the passover, to such
a degree did they boil with rage, and were mad. However, they would
have had no strength, unless He had Himself suffered it. Yet this
delivers not Judas from intolerable punishment, but even more
exceedingly condemns him, for that though he had received such proof of
His power, and lenity, and meekness, and gentleness, he became fiercer
than any wild beast.

Knowing then these things, let us flee from
covetousness. For that, that it was, which then drove him to madness;
that exercises them who are taken thereby in the most extreme cruelty
and inhumanity. For, when it makes them to despair of their own
salvation, much more doth it cause them to overlook that of the rest of
mankind. And so tyrannical is the passing, as sometimes to prevail over
the keenest lust. Wherefore indeed I am exceedingly ashamed, that to
spare their money, may indeed have bridled their unchastity, but for
the fear of Christ they were not willing to live chastely and with
gravity.

Wherefore I say, let us flee from it; for I will not
cease for ever saying this. For why, O man, dost thou gather gold? Why
dost thou make thy bondage more bitter? Why thy watching more grievous?
Why thy anxiety more painful? Account for thine own the metals buried
in the mines, those in the kings’ courts. For indeed if thou
hadst all that heap, thou wouldest keep it only, and wouldest not use
it. For if now thou hast not used the things thou possessest, but
abstainest from them as though they belonged to others, much more would
this be the case with thee, if thou hadst more. For it is the way of
the covetous, the more they heap up around them, the more to be sparing
of it. “But I know,” sayest thou, “that these things
are mine.” The possession then is in supposition only, not in
enjoyment. But I should be an object of fear to men, sayest thou. Nay,
but thou wouldest by this become a more easy prey both to rich and
poor, to robbers, and false accusers, and servants, and in general to
all that are minded to plot against thee. For if thou art desirous to
be an object of fear, cut off the occasions by which they are able to
lay hold of thee and pain thee, whoever have set their hearts thereon.
Hearest thou not the parable that saith, that the poor and naked man,
not even a hundred men gathered together are ever able to strip? For he
hath his poverty as his greatest protection, which not even the king
shall ever be able to subdue and take.

3. The covetous man indeed all join in vexing. And why
do I say men, when moths and worms war against such a man? And why do I
speak of moths? Length of time is enough alone, even when no one
troubles him, to do the greatest injury to such a man.

What then is the pleasure of wealth? For I see its
discomforts, but do thou tell me the pleasure of it. And what are its
discomforts? sayest thou: anxieties, plots, enmities, hatred, fear; to
be ever thirsting and in pain.

For if any one were to embrace a damsel he loves, but
were not able to satisfy his desire, he undergoes the utmost torment.
Even so also doth the rich man. For he hath plenty, and is with her,
but cannot satisfy all his desire; but the same result takes place as
some wise man mentions; “The lust of eunuch to deflower a
virgin;” and, “Like an eunuch embracing a virgin and
groaning;”29942994Ecclus. xx. 4, xxx.
20.so are all the rich.

Why should one speak of the other things? how such a one
is displeasing to all, to his servants, his laborers, his neighbors, to
them that handle public affairs, to them that are injured, to them that
are not injured, to his wife most of all, and to his children more than
to any. For not as men does he bring them up, but more miserably than
menials and purchased slaves.

And countless occasions for anger, and vexation, and
insult, and ridicule against himself, doth he bring about, being set
forth as a common laughing stock to all. So the discomforts are these,
and perhaps more than these; before one could never go through them all
in discourse, but experience will be able to set them before us.

But tell me the pleasure from hence. “I appear to
be rich,” he saith, “and am reputed to be rich.” And
what kind of pleas
481
ure to be so
reputed? It is a very great name for envy. I say a name, for wealth is
a name only void of reality.

“Yet he that is rich,” saith he,
“indulges and delights himself with this notion.” He
delights himself in those things about which he ought to grieve.
“To grieve? wherefore?” asks he. Because this renders him
useless for all purposes, and cowardly and unmanly both with regard to
banishment and to death, for he holds this double, longing more for
money than for light. Such a one not even Heaven delights, because it
beareth not gold; nor the sun, forasmuch as it puts not forth golden
beams.

But there are some, saith he, who do enjoy what they
possess, living in luxury, in gluttony, in drunkenness, spending
sumptuously. You are telling me of persons worse than the first. For
the last above all are the men, who have no enjoyment. For the first at
least abstains from other evils, being bound to one love; but the
others are worse than these, besides what we have said, bringing in
upon themselves a crowd of cruel masters, and doing service every day
to the belly, to lust, to drunkenness, to other kinds of intemperance,
as to so many cruel tyrants, keeping harlots, preparing expensive
feasts, purchasing parasites, flatterers, turning aside after unnatural
lusts, involving their body and their soul in a thousand diseases
springing therefrom.

For neither is it on what they want they spend their
goods, but on ruining the body, and on ruining also the soul therewith;
and they do the same, as if any one, when adorning his person, were to
think he was spending his money on his own wants.

So that he alone enjoys pleasure and is master of his
goods, who uses his wealth for a proper object; but these are slaves
and captives, for they aggravate both the passions of the body and the
diseases of the soul. What manner of enjoyment is this, where is siege
and war, and a storm worse than all the raging of the sea? For if
wealth find men fools, it renders them more foolish; if wanton, more
wanton.

And what is the use of understanding, thou wilt say, to
the poor man? As might be expected thou art ignorant; for neither doth
the blind man know what is the advantage of light. Listen to Solomon,
saying, “As far as light excelleth darkness, so doth wisdom excel
folly.”29952995Eccles. ii.
13.

But how shall we instruct him that is in darkness? For
the love of money is darkness, permitting nothing that is to appear as
it is, but otherwise. For much as one in darkness, though he should see
a golden vessel, though a precious stone, though purple garments,
supposes them to be nothing, for he sees not their beauty; so also he
that is in covetousness, knows not as he ought the beauty of those
things that are worthy of our care. Disperse then I pray thee the mist
that arises from this passion, and then wilt thou see the nature of
things.

But nowhere do these things so plainly appear as in
poverty, nowhere are those things so disproved which seem to be, and
are not, as in self-denial.

4. But oh! foolish men; who do even curse the poor, and
say that both houses and living are disgraced by poverty, confounding
all things. For what is a disgrace to a house? I pray thee. It hath no
couch of ivory, nor silver vessels, but all of earthenware and wood.
Nay, this is the greatest glory and distinction to a house. For to be
indifferent about worldly things, often occasions all a man’s
leisure to be spent in the care of his soul.

When therefore thou seest great care about outward
things, then be ashamed at the great unseemliness. For the houses of
them that are rich most of all want seemliness. For when thou seest
tables covered with hangings, and couches inlaid with silver, much as
in the theatre, much as in the display of the stage, what can be equal
to this unseemliness? For what kind of house is most like the stage,
and the things on the stage? The rich man’s or the poor
man’s? Is it not quite plain that it is the rich man’s?
This therefore is full of unseemliness. What kind of house is most like
Paul’s, or Abraham’s? It is quite evident that it is the
poor man’s. This therefore is most adorned, and to be approved.
And that thou mayest learn that this is, above all, a house’s
adorning, enter into the house of Zacchæus, and learn, when Christ
was on the point of entering therein, how Zacchæus adorned it. For
he did not run to his neighbors begging curtains, and seats, and chairs
made of ivory, neither did he bring forth from his closets Laconian
hangings; but he adorned it with an adorning suitable to Christ. What
was this? “The half of my goods I will give,” he saith,
“to the poor; and whomsoever I have robbed, I will restore
fourfold.”29962996Luke xix.
8. [Altered, as in previous
citations.—R.] On this wise let us too adorn our houses, that Christ may enter in unto
us also. These are the fair curtains, these are wrought in Heaven, they
are woven there. Where these are, there is also the King of Heaven. But
if thou
482
adorn it in another way,
thou art inviting the devil and his company.

He came also into the house of the publican Matthew.
What then did this man also do? He first adorned himself by his
readiness, and by his leaving all, and following Christ.

So also Cornelius adorned his house with prayers and
alms; wherefore even unto this day it shines above the very palace. For
the vile state of a house is not in vessels lying in disorder, nor in
an untidy bed, nor in walls covered with smoke, but in the wickedness
of them that dwell therein. And Christ showeth it, for into such a
house, if the inhabitant be virtuous, He is not ashamed to enter; but
into that other, though it have a golden roof, He will never enter. So
that while this one is more gorgeous than the palace, receiving the
Lord of all, that with its golden roof and columns is like filthy
drains and sewers, for it contains the vessels of the devil.

But these things we have spoken not of those who are
rich for a useful purpose, but of the grasping, and the covetous. For
neither is there amongst these, diligence nor care about the things
needful, but about pampering the belly, and drunkenness, and other like
unseemliness; but with the others about self-restraint. Therefore
nowhere did Christ enter into a gorgeous house, but into that of the
publican and chief publican, and fisherman, leaving the kings’
palaces, and them that are clothed with soft raiment.

If then thou also desirest to invite Him, deck thy house
with alms, with prayers, with supplications, with vigils. These are the
decorations of Christ the King, but those of mammon, the enemy of
Christ. Let no one be ashamed then of a humble house, if it hath this
furniture; let no rich man pride himself on having a costly house, but
let him rather hide his face, and seek after this other, forsaking
that, that both here he may receive Christ, and there enjoy the eternal
tabernacles, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory and might world without end. Amen.

2979 [The only variation of text is the substitution of
κα for ττε, at the beginning of verse 38. The R.V. renders, “sorrowful and
sore troubled,” and “abide” instead of
“tarry.”—R.]

2980Matt. xxvi. 39–41. [The first part of verse 39 is abridged, and in 40“them” is substituted for
“the disciples.” The remainder of the passage is in verbal
agreement with the received text.—R.]

2992Matt. xxvi.
50. [The Greek text in the
Homily is ἐφ
πρει; but there is some authority for ἐφ
πρει; which is abundantly attested in the
New Testament passage. The latter reading is accepted in the R.V.,
“Friend, do that for which thou art
come.”—R.]